The Supply Closet Gang
by tinyhuman02
Summary: A Japril/Jolex one-shot series. Based on canon storylines.
1. Two Guys, Two Girls and a Leech

**Hey, folks! I've written Japril/Jolex fic in the past and had fun doing it. I was recently inspired to write more after April/Jo briefly worked together in 11x17 and since we never see these four interacting together, I decided to start a one-shot series about them. They'll mostly be connected to the canon world. I'm not sure how often I'll update this, but if an idea comes along I'll definitely write it :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's or its characters. That's all Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

**Two Guys, Two Girls and a Leech**

Alex Karev sat alone at a bar table sipping a fresh bottle of beer while he waited for his burger and his girlfriend to arrive at the Emerald City Bar. It had been a long day for him. Losing a patient on the operating table was always a bitter pill to swallow, but his most recent one was too young. Danny was only 17. He hadn't really lived his life yet. It was difficult breaking the news to his older sister, who had taken care of him for the most part. Now all the pediatric surgeon wanted to do was wind down and stuff his face with a burger, loaded with all the works.

Entering the bar was Jackson Avery, who appeared in a better mood than his colleague. He ordered himself a drink at the counter before turning his back to scan the area. The plastic surgeon spotted Alex nearby and approached him after he received his glass of whiskey. He sat down on the empty seat across from his.

"Don't get too comfortable. Jo's coming any minute now," Alex murmured.

"Yeah, well, I'm waiting for April too. She asked me to meet her here," Jackson nonchalantly replied.

It almost felt strange to have guy time – for both of them. Neither men had any close male friends inside and outside of the hospital. Most of Alex's time spent when he wasn't operating was with Meredith Grey, and occasionally Callie Torres and Maggie Pierce. If he wasn't with them, he was with Jo Wilson. Surrounded by estrogen and boobs. There wasn't much room for dudes like Avery, especially with the recent tragic event that he and his wife, April Kepner, endured a couple of months ago. They seemed to be almost back to normalcy, but Alex couldn't quite tell mainly because he hardly interacted with either of them even before their son passed away. It wasn't like residency when they were together almost every day.

He and Jackson used to hang out frequently, but it helped that his girlfriend was best friends with the pretty boy's now ex-girlfriend, so it was like double dating was forced upon them. But after Jackson interrupted April's wedding in that freaking barn, he practically burned bridges with Jo when he publicly dumped Stephanie Edwards in the process. For Alex, it wasn't as big of a deal to him. He always figured Kepner and Avery would end up together somehow. He just wished he hadn't seen it unfold like a scene in a cheesy soap opera.

But whatever. That was in the past. Jo no longer wanted to rip Jackson's eyes out every time she saw him at the hospital. She seemed to have dropped her grudge against him once she knew Stephanie had moved on with her life. Still, it didn't mean Alex wanted to go out of his way to approach Jackson and ask him if he wanted to hang out. There was the whole issue regarding the board spot Cristina Yang left behind for him. The man sitting beside him basically owned Grey Sloan Memorial thanks to his rich family. He kind of wanted to punch him in the face now.

"So, uhh… how's Kepner?" Alex awkwardly questioned. Back when they were residents, April would be the last person he wanted to care about. However, he softened up to her, but also due to the fact that he didn't have to be around her 24/7 like when they used to be roommates. "Is she doing alright since… ya know?"

Jackson slowly sipped his whiskey before he responded. "She's getting better. I mean, sometimes I think she's pretending to be 100% okay and I know she's not. We're still kind of working on it, but she's better."

"And you?"

"It changes," he said as he slowly traced the rim of his glass with his finger. "I have good days and bad days. It's hard thinking about him, but I don't want to stop thinking about him. He's my kid… _was_. I hate referring to him in past tense."

Alex gripped his beer bottle and lightly tapped his fingers against it. "I lit a candle for you guys in the chapel that day," he blurted out. Even though it took a few matches to do so, it was worth the small burns on his fingers. "I don't know if you actually care, but-"

"No, it's cool. Thanks," Jackson answered with a half-smile.

"Sloan's looking out for him," he added, drawing a curious look from his coworker. Alex wasn't sure why he decided to tell him that, but Jackson seemed interested in what he had to say. "I'm not a hardcore believer or anything, but if there is such thing as heaven and stuff, I'm sure he's doing alright up there. And O'Malley. I know you never met the guy, but he was good with kids too. Your kid is in good hands."

"Samuel," the plastic surgeon acknowledged, sadly smiling. Only a handful of people knew of his son's namesake. "That's his name."

Alex nodded, sipping his beer again. "Hey, so baseball season is starting up soon. If you want to catch a game together, I could try to get some Mariners tickets," he offered.

Jackson smirked. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Shut up," the pediatric surgeon chuckled. "I'm serious. Jo isn't really into baseball, so I need a wingman."

"Yeah, okay. I could use some time away from everything myself," he admitted. "It's been a crazy ass year."

* * *

Twenty minutes passed and Alex was chomping away on his burger, which resulted in Jackson ordering the same thing after he briefly opened up to Karev, of all people, about his recent loss. Now they were simply being guys, talking about sports and topics their other halves would scold them for discussing out loud.

The bar's entrance rang the familiar bell jingle whenever customers arrived or left. April and Jo walked inside having a conversation of their own, both in very cheerful moods. After the case they worked on together, they had a reason to be. The men in their lives, on the other hand, grew instantly confused because they rarely interacted outside of the hospital.

"Okay, find another table, Avery," Alex ordered.

"No, no. Stay. We can make room," Jo insisted. She and April grabbed empty chairs and brought them to the table. They both sat down beside their significant others. "You are never gonna believe what happened in the pit today."

"You and Kepner became friends?" he quipped, receiving a playful eye roll from the redhead.

April kissed Jackson's cheek and smiled. "How was your ear replantation surgery?" she inquired, picking up a French fry from her husband's dinner and eating it.

"It went very well. No complications whatsoever," Jackson proudly answered.

"What about you, Alex? How'd Danny do?" Jo asked. Her boyfriend sighed and shook his head causing her to frown. "Oh, God. I'm sorry. But you know what? I have something that might cheer you up."

Alex furrowed his brow when Jo set a covered cup of water containing a small critter inside. "Dude, what is that? Is that a freaking leech?" He tilted his head sideways to examine the leech with a mouthful of burger. "Why do you have that thing?"

Jo grinned widely. "That _thing_ was inside a lady's nose and yours truly pulled it out," she gloated, pointing at the cup. "And by the way, his name is Herbie."

April softly gasped. "Aww, you gave him a name? That's adorable," she squealed.

Jackson snickered. "And you're actually keeping it?"

"The lady didn't want it, so I called dibs," Jo casually replied with a shrug. She rested her chin on top of the table and smiled at the new love of her life. Growing up as a foster child who bounced from house to house, having a pet wasn't a priority. Technically, Herbie was her first official pet. "And he's easy to take care of. I don't have to feed him every day."

"Since that leech has been living in that woman's nose for a month he's had plenty to eat," April noted. "You probably wouldn't even have to feed him for a while. Leeches can live a year without eating."

"All of that time you spent watching the Discovery Channel finally became useful," Alex teasingly stated before taking another large bite from his burger. He felt a kick against his shin and April smiled innocently back at him.

It had been a long time since they engaged in friendly banter. He wouldn't openly admit it, but he missed poking fun at the trauma surgeon. She would deliver some clever comebacks that would leave him speechless, yet impressed. Of course he wouldn't dare to make any snide remarks towards her after the crap she had been through.

Alex couldn't help but wonder why it had to happen to April. Sure, she used to annoy him all the time with her constant nagging and she was a little too neurotic for him to tolerate, but she was a good person. And she knew how to take care of people even when they didn't want her help. So why was she dealt with bad karma?

Jo was in the middle of recalling her time spent with her patient. She was very enthusiastic about treating a rare case. "And I don't even care that the woman slapped me!" the resident exclaimed. "I mean, what were the odds this woman's headaches were caused by a leech? I really need to hang out in the ER more often. I swear, the coolest things always come through those doors."

"And you know, you can learn from one of the best," Jackson added, referring to April. His wife shyly smiled as he wrapped his arm over her shoulder. She was practically responsible for how organized the ER was. In a way, it all started with the checklist protocol she devised when they were fourth year residents. "Like a drill sergeant, but way prettier."

Jo laughed after April playfully elbowed her husband's side. "But seriously, she knew exactly what to do. I spent around six hours trying to yank this leech out of my patient's nose. All she had to do was tell the lady that Herbie would eat his way to her brain and it was over. We pulled him out in like, five seconds." She placed her hand against her chest. "You know what? I should buy you a drink. If I hadn't called you for help, I would probably still be there fighting that woman."

"Oh, you don't have to, Wilson," the redhead graciously answered. "It was a learning experience. That's what a teaching hospital is for, so you can learn. You did great. Although, I _could_ start explaining why trauma surgery is an awesome specialty…"

"Pulling a leech out of somebody's nose isn't freaking trauma surgery," Alex scoffed.

"I know that," April retorted. "But we're the first in line when a trauma comes in. Don't tell me you never fought for surgeries when you were assigned to the pit during residency."

Jackson cleared his throat. "Can I just say that women are also welcome in the Plastics Posse?"

"Dude, you're still using that name?" Alex chuckled and shook his head. "I get Sloan started it, but it's still shameful."

"You guys, I appreciate the fact that you're all fighting for my affection, but I have no idea what specialty I want to go into yet," Jo intervened. She picked up her cup of water containing Herbie and grinned at it. "At least this little bugger doesn't have to worry about losing my affection."

Alex scrunched his nose in disgust. "You're seriously keeping that?"

"Why not? It's not like Herbie will leave crap on the floor or pee on your couch. He's a harmless pet."

"And what are you gonna do when you're bored with him? Eat him?"

"Eww, no! Why would I eat him?" Jo irritably replied.

April held up a finger. "People do eat leeches like they eat crickets."

Jo gently hugged her cup. "Nobody's going to eat Herbie, okay?" She was about to set the cup on the table when a man passing by accidentally bumped into her causing her to drop it on the floor. The top popped open and water spilled everywhere along with the leech. "Oh, no! Herbie! Nobody move!"

Alex grimaced when his girlfriend quickly slid off of her chair and knelt down on the floor. He noticed bystanders were watching, visibly weirded out by Jo's behavior. "Alright, just pick up the leech and stop freaking out. People are staring."

The brunette popped up holding Herbie in between her thumb and index finger. "I got him. He looks fine to me," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Now I just have to refill his cup and- uh oh."

"What?"

Jo moved her thumb and her eyes grew wide as Herbie remained attached to her index finger. "Oh, crap! Wrong end. I think he's feeding off of me," she panicked.

April waved her hand. "Don't worry. He's not dangerous. Just let him eat for about 20 minutes and he'll fall off like it's nothing," she nonchalantly explained. "You won't even notice you lost blood."

"I am not waiting 20 minutes for him to get off my finger. Someone help, please," she pleaded.

"Just calm down. It's really simple. Place your hand on the table," April instructed. She waited for Jo to follow her instructions before using her fingernail to remove the leech from her skin. After it detached from her finger, the redheaded woman flicked it away and watched it land on the table. "See? Easy."

Jo stared at the small bleeding wound on her finger. "Dammit, Herbie."

"So, does this mean Herbie gets a timeout?" Jackson quipped, sharing a laugh with Alex.

"Shut up," she retorted, scowling back at the plastic surgeon. Jo used the end of Alex's fork to push the leech back into the cup. "I'm going to get some more water for him _and_ I'm buying April a drink – after I clean my finger."

April opened her purse, pulling out a small bottle of antiseptic spray and a Band-Aid. "Here you go," she chirped. "Scotch, please."

"You are a savior," Jo softly groaned before she left their table for the women's restroom.

Alex snickered to himself and chugged the rest of his beer. "How'd you know how to do that? If it were me, I would've just stabbed that sucker with a knife," he amusingly stated. "Was that on Discovery Channel too?"

"YouTube," April simply replied, reaching for Jackson's half-eaten burger.

Jackson smirked as he stared at his wife while she ate his dinner. "You really are amazing," he complimented, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Alex rolled his eyes. Based on the cheesy grin on his coworker's face, he knew exactly what Jackson was thinking. "Avery, wait until you're home to start ripping off her clothes. I'm still trying to digest my food here," he teased.

April ignored Alex's comment and smiled at Jackson. "So, what'd you two talk about before we got here?"

"Sports," the two men quickly answered in unison.

Jackson forced a smile as she eyed them suspiciously. Neither he nor April had really discussed the loss of Samuel Norbert Avery with anyone but each other. When they returned to work they both received numerous condolences from their peers, but they weren't ready to actually talk about it. Even Catherine Avery couldn't pry her way into Jackson's head. He wasn't sure if his wife reached that level yet. And he didn't want to ruin her mood. April was so perky and bringing up their dead son would only kill her spirits.

"Ah, I get it. Guy stuff," she brushed off the awkwardness and giggled. "Probably comparing sex stories."

"That's exactly it. And no, I didn't provide Karev with any details you wouldn't want me sharing."

"Like I need the visual," Alex muttered under his breath before eating some fries.

Jackson stood up, nodding his head towards the men's restroom. "I will be right back."

After he was far enough from their table, April leaned forward and softly smiled. "Thank you, Alex." The pediatric surgeon stared back at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She let out a sigh. "I mean, Jackson hasn't had much of a break – from me. Ever since… I know he wants to make sure I'm doing alright all the time, which I'm eternally grateful for, but sometimes I just want him to have time for himself. When I suggest it he thinks I'm trying to push him away and that's not my intention. It would be nice for him to have some guy time, possibly with you. Even though this wasn't planned tonight, I'm happy you two got to hang out a little."

"Oh. Umm, yeah. No problem," Alex timidly responded. "So… you're okay?"

April glanced down at the paper napkin she twisted back and forth in her hands. "I think so. When I was pregnant I used to look at babies through the window of the nursery and become really excited about how my own baby would be in there one day. Now, I can't bring myself to go anywhere near the place," she admitted. "But I think I'm okay. Just not 100% there yet."

"It takes time. Recovering from something like that isn't gonna happen in a snap." Alex shrugged and offered a half-smile. "For what it's worth, I think you would've been a good mom. If you could put up with me and my mess, then you could handle anybody."

She chuckled and smiled back at him. "I suppose. Thanks. You and Jo seem to be doing really well. Are you ever gonna-"

"Of course. I just don't know when." Staring across the bar at his girlfriend, a wider smile formed on Alex's face as he watched Jo talk to her refilled cup of water while she waited for the drinks she ordered. Despite how stupid it looked to be talking to a leech, he accepted that side of her. He loved all of the silly things that she did because he loved _her_.

"How long do you think it'll take before she accidentally kills him?" April tossed her now balled up paper napkin at Alex, hitting his chest. He continued to smile as Jo approached their table with drinks in her hands. "Well, when that time comes I want a toilet funeral."

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**Let me know what you think please :)**


	2. Weekend Brunch

**Hey, folks! Thank you for the reviews! Sorry it's taken so long to write another one shot. The inspiration (mainly for Jolex) is pretty low right now for obvious reasons. I tried to address whatever issues Jolex could be going through if they actually existed on the show lol. Also, in this world Derek doesn't die ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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**Weekend Brunch**

"Okay, spleen is out. No sign of bleeders and we're ready to close," April declared, stepping aside to make room for Jo, who assisted on the splenectomy. "Wilson, Mr. Bradley is all yours."

The resident's eyes lit up and she smiled behind her surgical mask. "Really? Thank you, Dr. Kepner," she gleefully replied.

The last time April had asked Jo to close a patient, she never actually got to close the patient after he suddenly became brain dead due to a stroke during surgery. As a third year resident, she wanted all the practice she could get before her first official solo procedure without the intern status. Her memory of the failed appendectomy during her intern year didn't count in her mind. And working with the trauma surgeon was enjoyable because she was an enthusiastic teacher, but a hardass when she needed to be.

April stood a few feet away watching Jo suture their patient. "So, you've been spending a lot of time with me in the ER. Are your hours with other specialties balanced out?" she asked curiously.

"Umm, I think I may need more hours with Plastics and Neuro. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. You've been handling bizarre traumas a lot better since you discovered Herbie," the redhead implied. "I've been watching you closely and the potential is there. Just something to keep in mind."

Jo smiled to herself. She had to admit that traumas in the ER gave her a rush, but she still hadn't figured out what her specialty would be. April's opinion of her definitely wouldn't be forgotten. "Thank you," she politely answered. "Do you have any plans this Saturday?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Oh, because Alex isn't working, I'm not working and if Avery isn't working, why not meet up for brunch?" she innocently suggested, briefly turning her head to look back at April. "You know, just hang out at the house?"

April raised her eyebrow curiously. It didn't feel unusual hanging out with Jo and Alex lately, but she knew the latter likely had no idea that his girlfriend was making plans, the type she knew _he_ wouldn't enjoy on a Saturday morning. She had lived with him long enough to know that he was not a morning person, especially when they didn't have work during the weekend. The only way to wake him up – and occasionally, his one night stand – was to vacuum just outside of his bedroom.

"Brunch, huh? Alex is alright with this?"

Jo guffawed, looking back at her attending once more. "He's my boyfriend, not my parent. And he's invited people over without telling me beforehand, so it's something he's going to have to accept whether he likes it or not," she replied, sounding slightly bitter. "It's fine."

"No offense, but I don't recall him being a very good cook when he actually bothered to turn on the stove. Do you cook?" April reluctantly questioned.

"I can cook some things," she insisted, though she didn't sound entirely confident. Jo knew how to cook up the basic breakfast foods. They weren't stellar, but far better than anything Alex attempted. Being a resident meant less time to prepare a decent breakfast because she needed to be at the hospital early for morning rounds. Also, their refrigerator wasn't always well-stocked with groceries. "I'm pretty efficient at not burning food."

"Okay, well, then it's a date," April chirped. "What time would you like us to come over?"

"How about 10 o'clock? That gives Alex plenty of time to wake up," Jo lightheartedly answered.

"Alright. Since you don't need any help closing, I'm going to go ahead and scrub out. I will meet you in Mr. Bradley's room for post-op. I'm going downstairs to see how the pit is looking, so page me when you're finished," she instructed before tossing her surgical gown in the trash and leaving the OR.

Jo continued to smile behind her mask. She was looking forward to brunch, but her smile suddenly dropped when she realized there were a couple of problems. One, she was positive she needed to go on a grocery run, which was easier said than done. After most shifts, she preferred to unwind with a drink at Joe's, have sex with Alex or give herself an early bedtime. Errands were reserved for the weekend. And two, she wanted to prepare something more than basic, impress her older friends with her cooking skills.

She had two days to plan it out. Two days would be enough time, she thought.

* * *

Alex slept peacefully on his stomach, clutching his favorite pillow against his chest. He lightly snored as he earned back hours and hours of sleep he needed following a long week of surgeries. The sound of his alarm clock from his cell phone suddenly disrupted his sleep and his head shot up. He blinked his eyes rapidly to see Jo standing beside the edge of the bed and laughing.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he grumbled, dropping his head back on top of his pillow.

Jo smiled to herself as she set her boyfriend's phone on the end table. She was already dressed and ready for weekend brunch. "Waking you up, obviously. It's 9:45, so get up," she ordered.

"It's _Saturday_," Alex muttered against his pillow. "What's so important that you needed to nearly burst my eardrum with my alarm?"

"I invited Kepner and Avery over for brunch and they should be here soon," she informed him. "I told them to come at ten, so you need to get out of bed, take a shower and meet me downstairs when you're ready."

Alex lifted his head, looking back at Jo in disbelief. "Brunch?" It was almost like a foreign word to him. He didn't do brunch unless it was for professional reasons, which almost never happened. That was what dinner was for. And he grew even more confused because she never told him her plans. "Wait. Why didn't I know about this beforehand?"

"Because I know you'd tell me to cancel," Jo replied with her arms folded. "It's just brunch, Alex. It's not like I invited the entire surgical wing to the house. It's just April and Jackson."

"What are we even serving them? There's nothing in the fridge! Unless, you asked Kepner to bring all the food over since she's the only person I know who can freaking cook," he irritably stated.

Jo rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just insult my cooking skills, but I've got it covered."

They did have food to feed the four of them – only she hadn't actually made anything that morning. Those two days she had to go grocery shopping never happened. The end of her shifts left her exhausted, especially after multiple gunshot wound victims arrived in the ER on a Friday night. Because she had scrubbed in on one of the emergency procedures with Hunt, it left little time and energy for Jo to make a detour to the grocery store on the way home.

Instead, she snuck out of the house to order pancakes from The Original Pancake House, along with some sides that she easily could have cooked herself, but decided to let the professionals take care of it all. Everything was neatly prepared in the kitchen to make it appear as if she made everything herself.

"I bought pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage from the pancake house," she admitted.

Alex softly chuckled. "You know, it would've been easier to just tell them to meet us there."

Jo lost her patience, grabbing the end of the blanket and forcefully pulling it away from Alex. He scowled back at her in response. "Get out of bed! This is a get together with some colleagues and there's _food_. I stopped complaining every time you invited your friends over without telling me. How many times did Meredith kick me out of bed in the middle of the night?" she sternly replied. "You owe me, Alex."

Alex slowly climbed out of bed, scratching his belly as he groggily walked towards the bathroom. "Knowing Kepner, she'll be here ten minutes before ten."

* * *

Standing outside on the porch, Jackson and April took a moment to reminisce about their old frat house days when they were residents and just friends without benefits, and before they ever considered getting married to each other. The only reason why they ended up living at Meredith's was because both of them lost their best friends during the hospital shooting. Their coworker gladly took them in, despite making it a full house. They eventually created many memories living in that house.

"It's kind of strange being here again," April confessed, letting out a sigh. "The last time I was in this house, I was… not sober." She sheepishly smiled. "Pretty sure I was dancing on the couch at some point."

"And the last time I was here, I was dating-" Jackson cut himself off when April gave him a look. She didn't need to know that his most recent times in the frat house consisted of making out with Stephanie on Alex's couch. He wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and nodded his head towards the front door. "Why don't we knock and let them know we're here?"

"Five minutes early," she chirped, reaching out to knock on the door. "We should've brought something, huh? I really wanted to make some muffins for today, but the ER was hectic last night-"

Jackson rested his hands on top of April's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. "No, no. We were invited. No reason to exhaust yourself in the kitchen," he lightheartedly answered and kissed the top of her head. "Although, I really do enjoy _your _muffins."

April gently slapped his chest with the back of her hand. "Jackson!" she squealed. "Inappropriate. Wait until we're home."

Moments later, Jo appeared and opened the door. "Hey, come in! The food's ready," she greeted the couple. After she closed the door, she gestured towards the staircase. "Alex is just taking a shower, but he'll be down soon. Umm, maybe I can give you a quick tour of the house?"

"Not necessary. We lived here," Jackson casually replied, then he pointed towards the study. "My old bedroom."

"And I had the spare bedroom that I believe Arizona stays in now," April added with a grin.

Jo felt a hint of embarrassment. She knew a lot of the attendings had lived in the frat house, but she thought Alex had named them all when she overheard some of them talking about it in the living room one night. Jackson had never mentioned it when he used to visit with Stephanie. Finding out April lived there too was surprising.

"Geez, Alex wasn't kidding when he said everybody lived here," she murmured to herself. "Did you all have to pledge into some secret fraternity before you moved in?"

"Ah, actually, we landed here under very… unfortunate circumstances," Jackson reluctantly said.

Jo slowly nodded, then she forced herself to smile. "Anyway, why don't we go in the kitchen? Don't want the food to get cold," she insisted, leading them past the swinging door. She was surprised to find Arizona Robbins inside helping herself to a blueberry pancake. "Oh, Arizona. I thought you already left to pick up Sofia."

The blonde surgeon sat by the island counter, wiping her mouth with a napkin before she responded. "I'm leaving in a minute. I hope you don't mind me swiping a pancake before I go." She held up her plate. "These are really good, Wilson. They taste just like the Original Pancake House."

Jo froze in place and softly laughed. "I must make them well," she timidly responded before looking back at Jackson and April. "Have a seat, guys. We can start without Alex."

"Well, I'm out of here. Enjoy your little brunch date," Arizona cheerfully said after she placed her empty plate in the sink. "Do you mind washing that for me?"

"No problem!" April chirped.

Jo smirked. "I think she was talking to me, but if you want to do the dishes afterwards, be my guest." It took an extra five minutes before her other half finally joined the group in the kitchen. The tired look on his face hadn't been washed away during his shower. He remained half-asleep. "Glad you could join us."

"You look like crap, Karev," Jackson pointed out, eliciting an inaudible response from his coworker. "Rough night?"

"No. My sleep was disrupted," Alex bluntly replied. He nodded his head towards Jo. "I'm telling ya, Kepner's perkiness is rubbing off on her. They're spending too much time together in trauma, which is anything but perky, yet somehow it puts Jo in a really good mood."

"That's because I make trauma surgery awesome," April gloated before eating a piece of pancake. "Don't be jealous that your girlfriend might actually prefer my service over yours."

Jackson cleared his throat. "But there's still time to join the Plastics Posse," he reminded the resident, interlocking his fingers together as he smiled. "Plastics is more enjoyable than you might assume."

Jo scrunched her face. "Do I have to do that weird hand thing you just did?"

Alex laughed out loud. "You weren't this dorky when we were residents. I guess Kepner rubbed off on you too." He shrugged when the redheaded woman scowled at him. "What? Take it as a compliment. I'll admit, I don't miss that face you make whenever you got mad at me. You enforced too many rules when we lived in that apartment."

"You two lived together elsewhere?" Jo asked curiously.

"Not just us two. Oh, gosh. That would never happen. We'd rip each other's heads off," April quipped. "Jackson lived with us as well. We moved out during our fifth year because Alex's nasty skanks kept using my deodorant. Well, not just that, it was becoming too crowded here. And he wasn't even initially supposed to move in with us, but the apartment had hardwood floors-"

"She got the point," Alex interrupted, stuffing his mouth with a large piece of pancake.

The trauma surgeon scoffed. "I am so glad we never slept together. Odds are, you would have pretended it never happened anyway."

Jo nearly choked on her breakfast. She silently switched glances between April and Alex. The idea that they apparently had some sort of thing was news to her. "Whoa, wait a second. You two almost had sex?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Fourth year. You weren't around yet," Alex casually replied. "I was trying to get laid for the wrong reasons. And Kepner was a freaking virgin, so it was awkward for everyone."

April pursed her lips after Jo stared at her with wide eyes. "Thank you, Alex, for sharing that personal piece of information," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm so grateful you reminded me of the many times you guys made fun of me for being a virgin."

Jackson grabbed a hold of his wife's hand and gently squeezed it. "Let's just remember that I kicked Karev's ass for what he did," he added, grinning back at his coworker. Alex simply shrugged as he ate a piece of bacon. "But that's history. It's no big deal now."

"You were a virgin during residency?" Jo questioned, unable to fully grasp the current topic of discussion. April rolled her eyes in response and the third year resident waved her hand. "I mean, I'm sure you had good reasons for that. I'm just a bit overwhelmed by what I'm hearing right now. _You and Alex_?"

"It was barely a thing. I had a stupid crush on him that turned into nothing," April clarified. She smiled at Jackson. "I'm a happily married woman now. You can have all of Alex, including his stinky boy socks. Like Jackson said, whatever happened in the past is history. We're all on good terms with each other and we're friends. Let's leave it at that."

Jo nodded in agreement and softly smiled. "You're right. I wasn't here, so it doesn't matter to me."

Although, she had trouble getting rid of the image of her boyfriend and the redhead making out in her head. The constant bickering between them gave her the idea that Alex wasn't April's type at all and vice versa. She couldn't blame April, though, for having a crush on him. He was just as attractive as Jackson, in her opinion.

Following brunch, April volunteered herself – and Jackson – to clean the dishes. Even though they were invited guests, she felt guilty about not having brought anything and insisted that doing the dishes compensated for that. Neither Jo nor Alex protested the idea, so they left the married couple in the kitchen and relaxed in the living room. They sat down on the couch, the peds surgeon reaching for the remote first and turning on the TV.

"This was a good idea, wasn't it?" Jo cheerfully asked Alex, who barely nodded as he searched for something to watch. "I mean, there were certain parts that were awkward to me, but overall it was a success."

"Is this going to be a weekly thing now?"

Jo irritably grabbed the remote from Alex and turned off the TV. She set it aside, scowling back at her boyfriend. "Can you at least pretend to care? Sometimes I feel like you're here, but your mind is somewhere else."

"Dude, brunch isn't exactly my thing. Sure, food is always great, but I like to sleep in when I have a weekend off," he explained. "Don't get me wrong. I don't mind hanging out with Avery and Kepner, but maybe later in the day is better."

"Have you seen how Jackson and April act around each other? They lost their child, yet they still look happier than we do," she argued. "I have to practically beg you to do something I want to do. Just because our relationship is steady it doesn't mean you stop trying, Alex. You probably don't think there's a problem, but _this_ is a problem."

Alex appeared slightly caught off-guard. Although he was content with where his and Jo's relationship was, he had no idea she felt this way. She knew he wasn't the sappy romantic guy who bought flowers and candy for no reason. Occasionally, he went out of his way to bring her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, but those days were long ago. His focus had mostly been on Meredith's issues with Derek that he hadn't realized how much he was neglecting his girlfriend. It took a truthful confession for him to finally notice.

This was the woman he wanted to freaking marry and he felt like an idiot.

He sat up straight, turning his body to face hers. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. I thought we were good, you know? Because we hardly have the urge to rip each other's heads off and we're not going through the crap that Meredith and Derek are, I just never assumed you were unhappy with us."

"I'm not unhappy. More frustrated that you act like you don't care," Jo murmured and sighed. "Just be more present, okay?"

Alex wrapped an arm around Jo's shoulders, pulling her against his side as they sat back on the couch. He kissed her forehead and smiled. "Deal. By the way, you're a really amazing cook." She slapped his chest and he snickered in response. "Your feisty side is always sexy to me."

* * *

**Let me know what you think please :) btw, I'll accept prompts for this series. Just try to keep them in the canon universe!**


	3. Birthday Surprise

**Hey, folks! I know it's been a really, really long time since I updated this, but I hope you enjoy this installment. Still no ridiculous time jump. Going with my own timeline where nothing from 11x21 and beyond happened (sort of) :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Birthday Surprise**

Jackson furrowed his brow as he concentrated on delicately treating his burn patient, which consisted of debriding the burns on her forearm layer by layer and eliciting loud screams from the pain it caused. "You're doing great, Judy. You'll benefit from this in the long run," he encouragingly said. As torturous as it was for his patient, the process was done to help healthy skin grow and hopefully reduce the scarring. "How's it going over there, Wilson?"

Jo was on the plastic surgeon's service that day and it was her first time working on a critical burn patient. He had brought her into the burn unit to expose and teach her another aspect of plastic surgery. Not only did he want to prove his specialty wasn't about superficial procedures to make people feel pretty but he also wasn't backing down on luring her into the Plastics Posse. She had her own patient and was performing the same treatment on her.

"Doing well," she answered, grimacing when her patient screeched loudly. "We're doing very well."

They had been working on their patients for almost an hour. Jo seemed to be getting the hang of debridement, so Jackson decided to coax her into helping him with another important task. "Wilson, are you any good at party planning?" he casually asked.

She turned her head, raising her eyebrow at him. "Me? I barely made it through planning a brunch last month."

"So is that a no?" Jackson sighed when Jo simply shook her head and returned her attention to her patient. "It's for April. Her birthday is in two weeks and I want to throw her a surprise party. The last time I tried to plan a party, people ended up in the hospital and I definitely don't want that happening again."

He had learned his lesson with hiring a professional to plan an event for him. The gala over a year ago was a success, but also somewhat a failure in his mind. This time, he wanted to plan everything himself. It was for his wife's birthday after all. Why wouldn't he try to plan it?

And April's birthday the previous year had been a low key celebration. They were in the middle of their first major fight as a married couple, which was followed by the unplanned pregnancy, so the trauma surgeon hadn't been in the most celebratory mood. This year, Jackson wanted the opposite. After losing Samuel, he hoped a surprise birthday party would raise her spirits. He wanted her to know that she was loved, not just by him but by everyone.

"I grew up in foster homes where birthdays consisted of kids fighting for a slice of cake. I didn't do the Chuck E. Cheese thing or have pool parties or anything a normal child would get to do on their birthday," Jo recalled, slightly frowning. "I'm no help to you, Avery."

"The brunch wasn't a disaster. I'll give you that," Jackson complimented. His resident gave him a skeptical look and he smiled back at her. "I'm serious. You did fine. If you had burned down the house, _that_ would've been a disaster."

"Well, I never had to turn on the stove because I bought the food from the Original Pancake House," she sheepishly admitted. "I didn't have time to buy ingredients to make breakfast, so that was my backup plan."

He gestured towards her and grinned. "See? You can plan. Your first plan failed and you had another to save yourself." Jo scoffed at his comment, then he sighed. "Okay, I'm serious now. You and April are becoming pretty good friends, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. She lets me hold a scalpel in the OR more than anybody else does," she happily noted.

"Then she would really appreciate the fact that you helped planned this party with me. C'mon, she needs this. After what we've been through in the last few months, I know she's still recovering emotionally and maybe this party will help," Jackson suggested. "And I want to put some real effort into this. I don't think I can do this alone, though."

"What do you need me to do?" she inquired.

"One, don't tell April about this. I don't want her suspecting there might be a party. I already have a plan to throw her off. And two, help me find a location for this party. Somewhere she would never even consider having a party at," he explained. "Actually, you know what? After work, you and I are going to scout venues. Sound good?"

"Uhh…"

Her patient, Audrey, groaned loudly. "Oh, for heaven sake! Just say yes to Dr. Avery and then put me out of my misery!"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it," Jo quickly answered, nervously laughing. "But what am I supposed to tell Alex? He's going to be awfully suspicious that I made last minute plans with you tonight."

"I'll talk to him about it. Don't worry about that," Jackson nonchalantly replied. He smiled to himself as he worked on his own patient. "Are you feeling it yet?"

The brunette scrunched her nose in confusion. "Feeling what exactly?"

"The Plastics Posse love!" he enthusiastically said.

Jo pursed her lips, giving Jackson the side eye. "I'll get back to you on that."

* * *

After work, Jackson and Jo visited various locations for April's birthday party. They had gone to the Emerald City Bar, but despite the close distance from the hospital where it would be easy to bring April there, he thought it was too predictable and opted to keep searching. He didn't want the party at their apartment because he loved having a clean home and really hated the idea of cleaning up afterward. A restaurant would be convenient except Jackson wanted it to be private with their friends, family and coworkers.

He knew he was being extremely picky, but he wanted April to feel special. A birthday party at Joe's hardly screamed special to him because they spent a lot of time there after work.

"How much longer are we going to search?" Jo asked, trying very hard not to sound like she was whining. She was close to reaching that level, though. They had ditched the car at one of the restaurants they scouted, so they could walk around the downtown area instead. It was late and her legs were sore. She really missed sitting in Jackson's car. "Can't we just continue this tomorrow or something?"

"No. I have surgeries and teleconferences tomorrow. I want this part to be done," Jackson stubbornly replied. He was just as frustrated as Jo, if not more frustrated. He underestimated his party planning and it was making him cranky. "I swear, we're going to find something."

"At this rate, we might have to walk to Tacoma for a venue," she sarcastically stated. "You've rejected every place we've visited already."

"Because none of them felt right to me. I don't want this party to be some half-assed thing."

Jo sighed, slipping her hands inside of her jacket pockets. "Why can't we just have the party at Alex's? It's a big enough house for how many number of guests you're inviting. How many _are_ you inviting?"

"Umm, there's you and Alex, other surgeons and doctors from the hospital, the nurses April likes, her friends from her church, my mother and I'm going to try to fly her parents out here for her birthday," Jackson listed on his fingers. "She probably won't miss her sisters, though. Their last encounter wasn't so grand. Are you willing to clean up after all of those people?"

"Good point. Nevermind."

Jackson paused in front of an abandoned building after he spotted a "Space For Sale" sign along the brick wall. The lot was empty and the building appeared rugged and worn down on the outside. He approached the entrance of the building, ignoring Jo's protests. "Come here. I think I have an idea."

Jo pouted as she followed him into the building. "What are you doing? Who knows what's in here? People probably died in here and are rotting on the floor!" she complained. It was dark inside and she could barely make out what was in front of her. She extended her arms out until she found Jackson's shoulder. "If I fall and break something, it's on you."

Using his cell phone as a flashlight, he guided her up a flight of stairs. They stopped in front of a large steel door. A loud, creaking sound echoed throughout the building when Jackson opened it. He stepped into the large room, which appeared to be a loft space. There was litter scattered inside and some of the windows were cracked or broken. None of the lights worked, but he was able to see enough of the area to feel satisfied.

"This is it," he declared. "We're having the party here."

"So you're throwing April a rave now?" Jo quipped. "No offense, Avery, but the hospital restrooms are cleaner than this loft."

Jackson brushed off Jo's comments and wandered around the loft. "This place is totally fixable. I can hire some work to get the electricity and plumbing working, replace the broken windows." He began pointing at various areas. "We can set up the bar over there. Maybe hire a DJ or a band and place a dancefloor there. Put a bunch of tables over there. It's perfect. This can be done in two weeks."

Jo admired Jackson's determination, but she remained skeptical. The math nerd in her began calculating the estimated costs for the plastic surgeon's renovation plans. "Honestly, this all sounds really amazing, but you're seriously buying this space for _one_ night? You're willing to dish out thousands of dollars for a birthday party?" she probed. "Don't you think April's gonna kill you when it's all over? I know you're an Avery and all with your endless supply of money, but this is kind of a stretch."

"But I can actually benefit from fixing up this loft," he insisted. Jackson spread his arms out as he grinned widely. "After the party, I can turn this into a living space. Make it into a home and rent it out. That way I can earn back the money I spent refurbishing this loft. Not a bad idea, right? With some serious work and retouching, I think this building is still livable."

"Still livable," the third year resident reiterated to herself, her eyes slowly scanning the loft.

Suddenly, Jo had an idea of her own.

* * *

_2 weeks later…_

Standing just outside of the nursery, April took slow, deep breaths as she prepared to enter the area she avoided since Samuel's death. It took two months for her to fully accept that she lost her first born, but she never felt like she completed the acceptance stage of grief. She knew a part of her refused to let go and move on. In order to finally reach full acceptance, she thought it was time to face the one location in the hospital she dreaded most. She also decided to do it on her 33rd birthday. It gave her an excuse to be happy for the newborns who happened to share her special day.

She timidly approached the window where she spent a lot of her pregnancy days staring at the babies who were recently brought into the world. The place that used to relax her when she felt stressed made her bitter and envious now, but she forced herself to shut out those emotions for at least one day.

April scanned the various babies in their bassinet cribs. There were two babies in front of the window who were born earlier in the morning, a boy and a girl. The latter was asleep, while the baby boy was wide awake. His blue beanie had fallen off of his bald head and his arms waved around in the air as if he was trying to find it.

"Hey…" The trauma surgeon glanced down at his I.D. that was taped to the crib. "…August." She softly chuckled. "My name is April. Seems you're four months early, but I suppose that's a blessing in disguise. You weren't named after the month you were born in."

She slightly smiled to herself as she recalled the teasing she endured growing up in Moline. When she was a child and a teenager her sisters and peers always had some sort of joke about her name, especially in April. Her mother claimed she always liked the name and it was a coincidence she was born in the same month, but April didn't fully believe her. Knowing her mother, she probably thought it was an adorable idea.

"Well, Happy Birthday. It's my birthday too. It's a great day to be born, in my opinion," she cheerfully said, letting out a loud sigh afterward. "If everything went according to plan, Samuel would be here right now. Healthy and alive. He would be celebrating my birthday with me and his daddy. Probably would leave me a really stinky diaper as a present…"

April paused. She had surprised herself by talking about her son without shedding a tear. In the past, just the thought of Samuel caused her to hide in a supply closet and break down. She couldn't walk past what would have been his nursery in the apartment without feeling like she was going to lose it. The door to the nursery was closed, so she could avoid looking inside. Jackson had offered to take apart the crib, but she never had the heart to allow him to do it, so it remained standing and untouched.

It continued to hurt thinking about Samuel and the life he should have had. Perhaps it would always hurt, but she was done grieving. Losing her baby didn't mean she couldn't be a mother again. When it would happen she wasn't sure, but her dream of becoming a mother was still very much alive.

"How are you doing in there, buddy? Missing your squishy water bed?" she playfully asked.

"He's likely crapping his diaper just about now," Alex bluntly said as he stood beside April. He had walked in earlier and eavesdropped on his coworker's conversation with the newborn. He remembered her telling him about how she avoided the nursery at all costs, so seeing her there was refreshing. Still, he couldn't help but tease her a bit.

April lightly smacked Alex's abdomen with the back of her hand. "Don't ruin the moment. It's my birthday, so be nice."

"This is me being nice," he snickered, slipping his hands inside of his lab coat pockets. "So, you finally decided to come back here."

"Yeah," she softly answered. "There were other days when I thought about coming here sooner, but I always changed my mind. I feel better being here on my birthday, though. It's already a better birthday compared to last year when Jackson and I were somewhat of a mess. I just bought a carton from Molly Moon's and pigged out with Arizona."

"Well, tonight will be better," Alex assured her.

April nodded in agreement. "Jackson is taking me out to dinner. He won't tell me anything else except that." She turned her head to look at Alex. "There has to be more to tonight, right? Do you know anything?"

He quickly shrugged. "I know nothing. We talk sports, not so much the girlfriend stuff you and Jo talk about."

Of course the peds surgeon knew about the surprise party. Jackson and Jo had to practically abduct him and hold him hostage, so he could help set up the loft for April's birthday. He didn't mind helping since he had been trying to make a better effort in being a good friend to the redhead. The two couples were slowly becoming a cohesive foursome. It was actually fun for him.

But Alex also had his own surprise in mind, something that nobody else knew. "Hey, do you mind if I show you something?" he murmured, nodding his head towards the nearby supply closet. April agreed and followed him inside. He checked the entire area to ensure they were the only people in there. "Okay, you promise you won't tell anybody?"

"You're not going to drop your pants and show me an STD are you?" she teasingly replied.

"Shut up," he chuckled. "I'm serious."

"Okay, what's up?" April's eyes grew wide when Alex pulled out a small black box from his lab coat pocket. He opened it to reveal a shiny diamond ring. "Oh, wow." She giggled as she held up her left hand. "Thank you, but I'm already married."

"Cut the crap, Kepner," Alex playfully retorted. "It's for Jo."

April rolled her eyes and laughed. "I know that! Aww, you're finally proposing!" she gushed, clasping her hands together and placing them underneath her chin. She grinned uncontrollably as she stared at the ring. "When?"

"I don't know yet. I know you're into this mushy, romance crap, so I thought you should be the first to know about this," he admitted with a shrug. "I bought the ring last weekend. I'm not sure what came over me, but I just thought maybe it's time, you know? Just freaking do it already. And we wouldn't have to rush it or anything. She could finish up her residency before we get married. I just want her to know I'm all in."

"This is so exciting!" April pounced Alex and hugged him tightly. He reluctantly returned the hug, but still managed to crack a smile. "Did you want advice or something? Are you doing a whole grand gesture?"

"I'm definitely not doing a flash mob. Screw that idea," he scoffed after she pulled away from him. "Maybe do it in private? I'm not really a grand gesture type of dude. We could just announce it to everybody after the fact or whatever."

"Well, when you do I want to be there since you told me about this first," she noted, pointing at herself. April's pager buzzed and she checked to see what it was for. "I'm being called down to the pit. Was that all you wanted to show me?"

Alex nodded as he placed the box back into his pocket. "Yeah, that's all. Pretend you know nothing, okay?"

April pretended to zip up her lips and toss an imaginary key over her shoulder. "I know nothing."

"Hey, Kepner," he called out just as she was about to leave the supply closet. He waited for her to turn around before he added, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Alex," she answered, smiling brightly back at him.

The smile on April's face never faded as she left the peds ward. So far, other people's happiness only made her birthday even more enjoyable. Now she couldn't wait for what Jackson had in store for her.

* * *

"Jackson, where are we going?" April questioned as she blindly and carefully walked up a set of stairs. Her eyes were covered with a blindfold and she only had her husband's hand and the handrail to prevent her from tripping and falling. She could hear her high heels clanking against the metal surface. "This doesn't sound like we're on our way to a restaurant. It's actually a little bit chilly. I shouldn't have left my jacket in the car."

"We're almost there. You'll be fine." Jackson smiled when they arrived in front of the loft. He set her in front of the door and prepared to open it. "Count to five and then remove the blindfold."

Although she was confused by the sound of the loft's door sliding open, April counted to five in her head and removed her blindfold. She was greeted by a boisterous "Surprise!" from inside and her face lit up when she saw various coworkers, friends and most importantly, her parents standing in the middle of the loft.

"Oh my gosh!" she squealed, bouncing up and down as she grinned excitedly. April spun around to look at Jackson, who proudly smiled with his hands behind his back. "You did all of this?"

"Surprised?" he teasingly asked. She responded by throwing her arms over his shoulders and planting a firm kiss on the lips. A few whistles could be heard from inside of the loft and they bashfully pulled away from each other. "Happy Birthday, babe. You deserve this."

"Thank you. This is all so incredible."

April looked back inside the loft and she was impressed by the decorations. She even admired the fact that some of the party guests wore cheap party hats that Jo bought at the last minute. Also, the loft had been given a different appearance compared to the condition Jackson and Jo had found it in. The walls were repainted, the windows and floor were replaced, the lights were now working. A DJ was settled in the back playing selected music. Tables were set up by another wall with food. A bar was nearby providing the beverages. Jackson had ordered a cake from her favorite bakery in Seattle.

She finally entered the loft, pulling Jackson inside with her. The first people she approached were her parents, Joe and Karen. "I can't believe you're here. I had no idea," she excitedly greeted them, giving them both hugs.

"You can thank Jackson for that," Karen graciously said and smiled at the plastic surgeon. "He flew us into Seattle for your birthday. We may have had our differences in the past, but he's still a sweetheart."

Jackson shyly smiled when April glanced back at him. "Still surprised?"

"Yes! I mean, even Bohkee's here!" she chuckled. "And inviting my church friends? I'm glad you included them."

April spent the next few minutes greeting her fellow coworkers and her friends from outside of the hospital. It wasn't until she finished did she notice a peculiar guest in the corner. "Jackson, is that… a magician?" she curiously asked, pointing at a man who was performing card tricks for some of the guests.

"Remember how excited you were about the magician at the gala? This guy might not be as spectacular, but he's pretty good too," he acknowledged with a smile. She looked back at him confused. "What? Do you want me to kick him out?"

"No. I just didn't think you would remember that because you were so stressed out that night about everything else that was happening," she amusingly replied.

"I remember a lot of things about you, even when we weren't together," Jackson insisted, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders. "It's been a really rough year for the both of us. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary for your birthday because I love you and I wanted to show you how much you mean to me."

April wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck and smiled. "I love you, Jackson Avery." She gave him a long, soft kiss. "Thank you for everything. This is the best birthday I've had in a long time."

From the opposite side of the loft, Jo happily watched the married couple embrace in another kiss while she munched on the finger foods at one of the tables. She was so caught up in their happiness that she hadn't noticed Alex sneaking up from behind her. He wrapped an arm over her waist and kissed her cheek. "Hey. If surgery doesn't work out, maybe I should become a party planner. Turns out I'm actually good at this."

Alex snickered and slowly pulled her away from the scene. "I think you'll be just fine with surgery. Anyway, I gotta talk to you for a minute. There's something important I have to tell you," he said as they stepped outside of the loft.

"Oh! I have something important to tell you too! Should I go first or you?"

"Ladies first," he insisted.

Jo waved her arm towards the loft and smiled. "I want this. Actually, I kind of already have this." Her boyfriend furrowed his brow as he clearly didn't understand what she was talking about. "The loft! Alex, this loft is ours."

"Wait, what?"

"Jackson is planning to renovate this loft into an actual home and rent it out, but I made an offer to him. We could make this into _our_ home. It still needs a little bit of work, but we could live here. It's closer to the hospital and we'd have this place to ourselves," she explained enthusiastically. "You could sell the house to Arizona. She can survive on her own. I know that house has a lot of history for you, but here in this loft we can create our own history _together_."

Alex glanced back at the loft. He hardly expected Jo to surprise him with _that_, but he didn't hate the idea either. She made some good points. And the fact that she wanted to buy a home as a couple proved to him that she was all in too. If they were going to eventually get married and spend the rest of their lives together, why not start from scratch?

It would be hard work turning the loft into a cozy home, but he thought it would be worth the effort since they would be doing it together.

"So… how much is Avery asking for this place?"

"Does that mean you want it?" Jo eagerly asked.

Alex looked at Jo and smiled. "Yeah. Let's buy this freaking loft." He pulled her into him and they shared a celebratory kiss. For a second, he thought maybe it was a crazy idea because the frat house was twice the size of the loft. He was comfortable in that house, but to him, it was always going to feel like a frat house. With the loft, it would be their home and nobody else's.

Jo took a step back, grabbing a hold of Alex's hands. "Okay, so what's your important news?"

"Umm…" He had planned to propose to her at that moment, but now he thought it would be too many big surprises in one night. Plus, he decided he didn't want to take the attention away from April's birthday. "That preemie we've had in the NICU for two months, Jessica, she finally went home today."

"That's great! I knew she would pull through," she elatedly replied. Jo led Alex back into the loft. "April's distracted by the magician, so now's our chance to talk to Jackson about buying this place for ourselves."

Alex smirked as he followed Jo inside. His proposal would have to wait a little longer, but he knew what she was going to say and he was looking forward to putting that diamond ring on her finger.

* * *

**Hope you liked the alternate version of how Jolex gets their loft! Let me know what you think please :)**


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